Plenty of players were seen slipping all over the field during last season’s Super Bowl matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.
The field conditions at the Super Bowl were an issue and frankly embarrassing considering the magnitude of the game. These are just some examples. pic.twitter.com/Qd7Wjk8WgS
— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) February 13, 2023
While many would assume that it was the field’s fault that players were slipping, it seems as though the NFL has a different idea.
“The NFL has an unofficial excuse for the situation, one that has been communicated when owners ask about it,” wrote NFL insider Mike Florio. “Per a league source, the league blames the players for not wearing the right shoes.”
If the league truly does blame the players, it’s a pretty bold stance, especially since the stadium where last season’s Super Bowl was held had already dealt with issues earlier in the campaign.
Kansas City took on the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1 at State Farm Stadium and had multiple players sustain injuries due to slipping on the field. Other teams apparently also reported injuries after playing on that field.
In the Super Bowl, Eagles players apparently tried switching cleats, but that didn’t really seem to help.
Before the matchup between the Eagles and Chiefs, iconic NFL groundskeeper George Toma said that fans shouldn’t be worried about the condition of the natural grass field.
“This is a new turf,” he told FOX News’ Kansas City affiliate. “I believe this is the second-best turf that we’ve had in 57 Super Bowls.
Obviously, fans did have something to worry about. Unless it’s a matter of preference, there really should be no reason for NFL players to have to use specific cleats depending on which fields they’re playing on during any given week.
Each NFL field should be in pristine condition in order to protect all players from serious injuries as much as possible. It’ll be interesting to see if any Chiefs or Eagles players that slipped during the game speak out against the NFL’s alleged stance.
On a separate note, plenty of players have expressed displeasure with artificial turf fields, and one can only wonder if the league will require all stadiums to eventually have natural grass. It doesn’t seem to be trending in that direction, however.
Odell Beckham Jr. suffered a torn ACL while playing on the artificial turf field at SoFi Stadium during the 2022 Super Bowl. He and current Chiefs receiver Kadarius Toney spoke out about artificial turf fields after seeing New York Giants receiver Sterling Shepard tear his ACL at MetLife Stadium last season.
Just get rid of it all the fkngether bro. Billions made off this game I can’t understand why we can’t play on grass. That shxt is rough. Prayers up for my brother. Shxt just hurt my heart 🤕
— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) September 27, 2022
https://twitter.com/0fficialC2N/status/1574798951995301892
Clearly, artificial turf and natural grass both have some drawbacks. Regardless, the NFL would be wise to eventually find a solution that works for everyone.
A little over two months remain before the 2023 regular season gets underway.
